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Friday, March 18, 2011

Basting with 505 and FMQ

So I've basted my very first quilt with the 505 Basting spray. And I dare say that in my humble opinion - This is one of the best products ever!

I was a bit nervous so I added a few Micro Stitch tacks but so far (and I've quilted half of it) I dare say I would not have needed to worry. The layers stick together perfectly and my needle has not been gummed up at all like feared after reading stuff online. It was so simple to baste this way, this quilt is just short of queen size and I did it alone and in less then 20 minutes I think. Tape the backing to the floor wrong side up, spray with the 505 (which didn't smell at all and I can honestly say I didn't even open a window, I'm so bad - I know), smooth out the batting from the center and outwards, carefully unrolling it as I went. I don't know if this is the "right" way of doing it, but it worked great for me. Then I sprayed the batting with the 505, and did the same thing with the quilt top, starting in one end with the middle, and the carefully unrolling it and smoothing it out as I went. I can honestly say that I will never, EVER pin baste again!

Picture taken by my fiance, I can tell you I was singing along quite obliviously and happily with the music in my headphones at this point in the process so let's be grateful it's not a movie =)

Now I'm free motion quilting my first full size quilt and it's sooo much fun! Gosh how I love it! But it's a real workout moving the big quilt around and since I'm still very new at this I tend to tense up a lot. So far it's going quite well, the quilting gloves are a MUST though, no grip otherwise and I imagine the whole process would be terribly frustrating then. So I have to buy "summer quilting gloves" next time I go to Sweden as I think my pair (while perfect now as it's quite cold indoors still) will be much to warm once spring kicks in here. Setting up a "support table" with my ironing board was another must as I would have gone insane from the quilt slipping off the table otherwise.

My Janome Horizon is fantastic! I'm always using the open toe FMQ foot (tried the others but it was very difficult to see where you where going) and the process is so easy. How I've lived without this machine for so long I'll never know =D

About Me

A swede living in Malta with a love for quilting and all sorts of crafting. This blog is meant to cover my biggest interest, bag, quilt making and sewing, but still include my other hobbies and parts of my life such as my cat, making Sami Jewelery and various other things that help make my life complete.